


Stomach Bug

by meliapis



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-15 04:56:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18491797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meliapis/pseuds/meliapis
Summary: Just when the fifth minute was about to tick by, a form hurried towards the car. The entire group seemed to sag in relief as [Name] opened the door. Noctis shuffled into the middle to give her room to sit in the back. He squinted as she piled in, her arms full with what seemed to be her jacket wadded up. Had it always been that big?





	Stomach Bug

Prompto finally lost it as a groan echoed out into the night. The sound of his head hitting the headrest had the prince opening his eyes from his short nap.

“Where is she?!” the gunslinger whined, crossing his arms as he slid further down in his car seat. “It’s been like ten minutes!”

“Leave it alone. She might not be feeling well,” Gladio said from the back.

Ignis sighed, drumming his gloved fingers against the steering wheel. Noctis could tell it was a nervous tick more than anything else. “I suppose fighting on an empty stomach wasn’t the best idea.”

“Better than a full one sometimes. All that blood can make people nauseous,” the prince murmured, repositioning his chin in the palm of his hand. He studied the shadowed building ahead of them, keeping an eye out for their fifth member. The restroom located at the Chocobo outpost was usually unlocked even when it was closed, but perhaps she had to make others plans.

“Maybe one of us should go check on her, then,” Prompto offered.

“Give her time,” Ignis said, taciturn. “If she hasn’t returned in the next five minutes, then I will go and check up on her.”

“But it’s so late! I just wanna get to the trailer and sleep.”

“You can sleep now, so quit your bellyaching,” Gladio growled, resting his own eyes.

Prompto grumbled to himself, twisting in his seat to find a comfortable position.

Nature’s music kept the silence at bay as Noctis let out a long breath, shifting higher in his place. [Name] had yet to make an appearance but the movement from some sleeping Chocobos caught his eye even once in a while. He kept thinking it was her.

Just when the fifth minute was about to tick by, a form hurried towards the car. The entire group seemed to sag in relief as [Name] opened the door. Noctis shuffled into the middle to give her room to sit in the back. He squinted as she piled in, her arms full with what seemed to be her jacket wadded up. Had it always been that big?

“Everything alright?” Ignis asked, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.

“Yeah, I’m good. Took me a while to find the bathroom in the dark.”

“Yes, the lack of moonlight is quite unsettling.” The engine revved as the spotlights of the Regalia flickered to life.   


As the car pulled out of the parking lot and started down the road, Noctis felt [Name] shift to where her back faced him. She hugged her wadded jacket to her midsection, curling around it as she rested her head against the door. Maybe she really wasn’t feeling all that well.

“You sure you’re okay?” he whispered, leaning closer to her. She flinched at his inquiry and nodded, shoulders drawing closer to her neck.

“Totally sure,” she said, not even turning to look him in the eye.

He hummed and left her alone after that. If she was suffering from a sickness she’d cave and tell one of the guys at some point. She was too stubborn to admit to being in pain on hunts so a stomach bug was probably too embarrassing for her to fess up to. He wished she would if that was the problem, but he wouldn’t push her to tell him.

As they pulled up next to their lodgings for the night, she was quick to leave the car, practically speedwalking to the trailer. The guys shared silent gazes with one another. Gladio was the first to raise his hands in surrender.

“Not it.”

“Iggy you’re the mother of the group, you talk to her!” Prompto urged.

“If she doesn’t wish to tell us what is wrong, then we should leave it at that.”

“What if something is wrong, though? Like _wrong_ wrong.”

Another minute of silence went by and Noctis sighed in defeat. “I’ll talk to her.”

“Are you sure, Noct?” Ignis questioned.

He nodded, pushing out of his seat and starting for the mobile home. “I’ve known her longer. If she’s want to talk, I’m all ears.”

“Careful with what you say,” Gladio cautioned after him. “Ladies can turn on you if you poke at sore subject too much.”

“Thanks for the advice,” he huffed, footsteps crunching over the gravel. Reaching the front door, he knocked. There was some shuffling and a muffled curse. “[Name]? Can I come in?”

“Uh, yeah, one sec!” There was a pregnant pause before she announced he could enter. As he pulled the door open, he peeked in to make sure she was decent as he didn’t want another bruise after that last accident. In his defense, the tent should have been zipped up all the way.   


On the small cot in the back, she was settled beneath the covers with a small smile on her lips. She waved and he felt the nerves rolling off her in waves. Stepping up into the trailer, he closed the door behind him and sighed. “Alright, what’s wrong?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been acting weird since the outpost. Did something happen?”

She shook her head, tensing as a chirp sounded. His eyebrow rose in suspicion and she cleared her throat. “Sorry, I have the hiccups,” she said, patting her chest. He was already walking towards her when another twitter was heard. “Waitwaitwait—”

He leaned to look behind her and got a glance of something bright yellow before she jumped up to block his view. “[Name]—”

“Please be quiet,” she begged.

“Did you kidnap a baby Chocobo?” he hissed. She needn’t answer as the ball of feathers tumbled out from behind her, tripping over the sheets. Chubby wings flapped as it did its best to get to its feet.

“Listen, it was limping around when I got out of the bathroom,” she tried to explain as she scooped it into her arms. “I couldn’t just leave it there!”

“Ignis is going to kill you.”

“Prompto will back me up!”

“[Name], we’re leaving for Laestalum in the morning. You can’t just keep a baby Chocobo.” The bird chirped as it settled down in the girl’s lap. He couldn’t deny it was an adorable sight, but this was about responsibility. “Iggy’s gonna have to double back now to return it to the outpost.”

“Look, I’ll take him back in the morning before everyone wakes up,” she promised. “Just let me keep him for tonight, alright? Tell them I have a stomach bug and that they should probably stay away from me for the time being.”

“Ignis will worry—”

“Please?” He scowled as she gave him that look. It made his chest tight and his ears go warm. Totally unfair and she knew it.  


“Fine. If you get caught, don’t drag me down with you.”

“Deal.” She grinned. “Tell Prompto to bring me some food. He’s gonna love this.”

Noctis scoffed. “Good luck keeping him quiet.”   


As he turned to head back outside he paused as she called his name. When he glanced over his shoulder, she was giving him that look again only this time there was no pleading to be found.

“Thanks, Noct. You’re the best,” she murmured and he felt his heart jump as he coughed out a quick “You’re welcome.”

Later on, when Prompto slipped into the trailer, it wasn’t long before a yelp was heard. Ignis went to stand before Noctis waved him down.

“He probably tripped,” he said and the caretaker thought for a moment before agreeing with the prince and settling back down. Prompto had always been the clumsiest of the group. Gladio was already snoring away in his tent so there was no need to keep him distracted from the hidden Chocobo just feet away.

“I hope she’ll feel better when the morning comes,” Ignis sighed.

“Trust me,” Noctis chuckled, “she’ll probably be up and at ‘em before you.”


End file.
